Remastering Warmth of a Human Touch
by Neverknew
Summary: Shoujo-ai. Angst. Ami/Rei Mina/Mako The girls know something's troubling Ami, but when Rei uncovers her secret, its worse than she suspected. Will she watch her fall or take the plunge with her. ((This has taken a separate life from its original so will be published separately.)
1. Pro: Opposing Sides of a Brick Corner

Dying is easy. It's living that's hurts.

_The petite figure walked along the desolate street. Further down, her bus __approached __its stop. Her figure slowed, her breaths coming in labored, hitched gasps. Eyes fluttered shut, trying to shut out __the scenes__ in her head__,__ the looks, the interrogations, everything. __Acid __rose __to__ her throat, but she feared the consequences to her wounds if she let it rise. She stopped__ in her steps__; tears brimming at the corners of her squeezed eyes. The __lite __figure lilted, as if __the slightest gust __might blow her over. She leaned against the cold bricks as gently as she could. Everything, everything ached. She fought the tears, fought the pain, fought the overwhelming desire to just give up; to collapse __and fade into nothingness__ here and now… Her body raked violently under its own weight, trying to breathe, fighting to live. _

_I have to go. I have __to move on__.  
She tried;__ forcing herself __to fight the pain. In a bout of heated courage, she pushed off the wall with all the strength she could muster.  
A small gasp and a __wince __escaped the figure as she sank to the ground, clutching her sides. Cold. Cold, hard regret. She shouldn't have done that_.

Kami, it hurt. Can't… I can't do it…  
_She sat on her knees, holding her ribs. Bent over, shielding herself.  
_Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Bus.  
The bus was here. Time to go.  
_She picked her frail body __off __the ground, gingerly __dragged __herself onto the arriving steps. _

_A silent on__looker __stood only feet away, back __pressed against__ the brick wall, __witnessing__. At the first sound of her friend, she had almost r__a__n to her, but something had stopped her. She __had given into __her instincts and ducked back behind the corner. As the door closed and __the bus drove away__, the miko walked onto the corner__. She__ watched __on __as the bus she was supposed to catch rushed off without her.  
_"Ami...?"

* * *

**A/N**: Thanks to TheKueken for being my dedicated beta for this entire undertaking. She's been there through the entire process - reading through the painful original, tearing it down, and helping me rebuild it all over again. If it weren't for her, this remaster would not exist. If you haven't read any of her stuff, you should! (I may have beta'd some of them, so I would know.) NO ONE can capture Mina like she does.

If you are here after reading "Original Warmth of the Human Touch" and are disappointed with the similarities, sorry. Skip ahead to chapter 4 for the new content. I was so unhappy with the original that I trashed the original chapters - I have no record of them anymore (not my best decision).


	2. Clues Within

_Same old group._

_Same old story._

_Kami, why did this have to be so hard?_

The aqua-haired girl automatically plastered a smile on, as she made it to the top of Rei's endlessly-painful stairs.  
"Hey, Ami-chan!" Usagi gushed as her friend arrived. _Damn._ She was hoping to just slip in. "Rei's not here yet, and even though she always says to just come in, we're waiting out here and celebrate that we don't have to study... yet! Don't be mad!"

Ami just nodded wordlessly.  
_Well, maybe this won't be so hard after all. But where was her Rei? _

Mina quickly engaged Usagi in the oh-so-latest gossip which usually filled the girls' entire 'study' meetings.  
_Maybe the meeting will be cancelled if Rei doesn't show…_

As much as she would love to see Rei, the whole daily act of things was getting exhausting. Her wish was ill-fated though, since the miko herself came bounding up the steps as if on cue. She jumped the last step, rushed a breathless apology and proceeded to lead everyone inside.  
"SorryI'mlateImissedmybus. Grandah'snotheretoday,justgointhelivingroom.  
Whydidn'tyouguysgoinwithoutme,Ialwayssaidtogoahead ifI'mnothere."

After her hurried display of welcoming, she stopped shortly next to the door, her hands on knees. The girls straggled inside visibly disappointed as Rei waved them to go in. Ami, always the lagger, walked in last. To her surprise, Rei straightened immediately as she walked past, clapping a rough hand on her shoulder. Ami tried hard not to wince, but she couldn't help jumping at the sudden contact.

"Hey, Ames! How's it going!?" The blunette stared at her wide-eyed, trying to ignore the hot pain that seared through her shoulder.

"Uhh…Fine." She flashed a quick smile, ducked her head and walked out of reach towards her usual spot in the study-circle.

The others had already settled themselves and continued their lofty conversations. Rei left to get refreshments, while Ami opened her text and went to work silently. She could feel the wary eyes of the others on her, but she did her best to ignore them. Despite her best efforts, the long days were taking a toll on her. She was missing meetings, her tutoring sessions of the others had virtually come to an end, and her nerves were constantly bared.

As discrete as the others were, probably waiting for her to come forward with whatever was going on with her-... they weren't. It was the little things that gave them away. Instead of mutterings of Mina's loveless love-life or plotting to make Makoto spend the night at someone else's rather her lonely apartment; she knew, it was Ami everyone whispered about as soon as she left the room.

Minako, meanwhile, went on about her newest obsession.  
"He's _such _a hottie! And he's funny! And, oh, soooooo athletic! You should have seen that bicycle kick - and those _abs_, when his shirt rode up..!" Her voice broke into a hapless squeal. "Buuuut… I've tried everything. I've hinted, and clued… Once, I even stumbled on purpose to fall into his arms!" She sighed. "He just put me back on my feet, told me to be more careful and walked away! He _has_ to be taken already.I mean, he talks to me. He smiles at me. He _winks_ at me! But then I throw myself at him, and he just walks away. Just like that - can you believe it?! He's sooo cute, and nice. Probably the nicest guy I've met in -ever. But-.. But… still… I just, I just wished he would just_look at me._"

Ami's scribblings paused, her head dropped and an unsteady breath escaped her lips.  
"You should move on. He doesn't see you."

"Uh, what?"  
Minako blinked, tilting her head in confusion.

The rest of the room slowly turned their attention to the usually shy genius before them. But she had her eyes settled intently on the blonde across from her, her pen dancing lightly between fingers. "Well, you _could_ keep trying. But doesn't that seem like a waste of time? I mean, how long are you going to keep chasing after someone that doesn't see you? How many times is too many-..How long until you can't stand that one person you want the most to remain out of your reach? Out of your league?" Minako raised an eyebrow, but Ami kept ranting. "How long will you keep pretending they don't _see _you before you get it; they just don't _want_ you? How many times are you going to laugh along with them, when they actually see right through you? How often can you stand looking into their eyes and see that there is nothing for you there? The sooner you admit the truth, the better. Anyway, you're the Love Goddess, you'll find someone new. You're pretty. Outgoing. Desirable. Wanted.

...But we're not so lucky."

The blunette paused. Her gaze scanning the room before her glittering eyes settled on Usagi, the pen in her hands pointed at the girl.  
"We're not as lucky as Usagi-chan and her _destined love_. We have to have to work for it. We have to _earn _it."

Her eyes fell, flashing back to Minako who watched her with a certain stillness.  
"And even if we _do _find someone... There are ten people in this world that will live as long as us. And half of them are in this room. So even if we prevail for the benefit of an never-ending eternity and actually find someone out there-... Even if we outsmart the system; triumph in this morbid game of love..."

As if suddenly realizing the room was watching her with apt attention, Ami dropped her head, shrinking into her seat as her voice started to fade. Suddenly she was small, quiet and shy Ami again; picking at the sleeve of her shirt as the flames of boldness that had possessed her died away as quickly as they had flared up.  
"...We will lose."

Though merely a whisper, her last words echoed, screaming off the walls. The others sat around her in stunned silence. They waited.. for something, anything to happen;but nothing did. Ami slowly dropped her gaze back down, but her pen only hovered insecurely above the paper.

Usagi finally broke the silence.  
"Hey, Ami?" Worry hung heavy in her voice, making Ami cringe. "You…You know if there's anything you need to talk about…" Usagi placed a gentle hand on Ami's."…we're here."

Ami's eyes trailed reluctantly along the table, landing on Usa's hand. She stared blankly at the display of affection. Somehow, it made everything worse. This was human warmth, and therefore warmth that she couldn't trust.

Ami pulled her hand away, wiping a quiet tear that slid down her cheek.

Usagi's hand stayed where Ami had left it, cold and empty. There was more silence; the others finding answer in Ami's lack ofreply. A clink cut through the heavy air.

...

Rei stood stock-still, her chest heaving. One of the cups balanced precariously on its side from her sudden flinch. In reflex, she caught the cup and put it back into place with a slightly dizzy over the desperate words she had just overheard, she leaned her weight against the wall as memories washed over her.

* * *

**A/N**: If you are reading this after the reading my 'Original' of this story, skip ahead to Chap 4. I lost the original chapters without chance of recovery so the first four chapters are the same.


	3. Broken Memory

She had been walking back with the tea and was about to slide the door open when Ami's strained voice reached her, and the memories overwhelmed her.

...

Rei slid the door open expectantly.  
"Come on in, Ames."

She turned on heel, walking away from the open door and leaving Ami to stand, shocked in the doorway.  
"I... I hadn't knocked yet."

Rei grinned to herself, but managed to hide it from her voice.  
"Yeah. Yet, you were already thinking about leaving."

She turned, taking a few steps back so she could see the Mercurian as she continued to retreat into the shrine.  
"So come on in. You already know Grandah's out for the weekend."

Rei paused at the hallway, leaning against the arch as she spoke to the girl still standing in the doorway.  
"I was hoping you'd show up to spend it with me, so I grabbed some new movies for us. The girls will probably show up unannounced tomorrow, but for tonight it's just us."

With a sigh, Ami stepped in, sliding the door closed behind her as she toed off her shoes.  
"How do you always _know_?"

Rei grinned, holding out a hand to the girl so she could guide them back to her room. She'd never told Ami before, but Rei always found it adorable when she pouted.  
"I'm just that good."

Just like every time Ami showed up unannounced recently on her doorstep, the nymph seemed to be carrying some weight on her shoulders that Rei couldn't seem to put a finger on. The girl studied her for a long moment, eyes churning as some war waged beneath them. But just as quickly, the girl shrugged, and the weight disappeared and Ami laid her hand within Rei's own.

Rei smiled, tightening her grip on Ami's own hand as she led them back to the room. What Ami didn't know, was that the popcorn was already waiting. Rei didn't know what was bothering Ami so much, but she was more than happy to be the one to relieve her of such worries.

...

_''Rei would take care of me._ She stood outside her own shrine, the stars sparkling brightly above her. The steps glinted above her, menacing, laughing. _ But what would I say when I got there? How could I explain this? _

_Rei would save me...'_

A thick, angry cough erupted from the miko. The manga she held in her hands fell to the floor with a clatter, but she barely noticed. The emotions washing over her were so strong, so intense that they were blinding her, making her dizzy. The pain was pounding, seething, rushing through her, so harsh that she couldn't think straight.

The sensation blinked out just as quickly. Rei let out a hard, strangled breath, pushing it out through gritted teeth. She blinked, realizing the wood of the her coffee table was cracking underneath her white-knuckled grip.

"You okay?"

The raven pulled her eyes up to see Ami regarding her with an arched eyebrow, a graceful pencil hovering over paper. The study-session was over for the day. Ami hadn't left for home yet and Rei hadn't asked, assuming she'd be spending the night again. Not that the miko minded; the bluntte had been staying so often that Rei had gotten into the habit of always keeping fresh sheets in her closet.

Rei coughed again, forcing a hard breath in and a harder one out, trying to cleanse her body of the foreign discomfort. She wiped her hand across a wet mouth, hoping Ami didn't notice her fingers shaking. She pulled the hand away to see the light sheen of red that stained her hand.

"Yeah... "

She pulled her eyes up, hardened and accusing. Why were all her instincts screaming 'Ami' when the girl was sitting right here in front of her?  
"Are _you_?"

Ami shrugged, darting her eyes away quickly as if wondering what answer she was looking for. She tugged shortly on her shirt's sleeve before bringing suspicious eyes back to Rei. "...Why shouldn't I be?"

Rei swallowed deeply, noting the metallic taste of blood against her tongue.  
_What the hell was going on?  
_"You didn't... go for a walk last night?"

Ami was scribbling away on her paper again, but the sound stopped so she could raise eyes to the miko.  
"Yesterday? After school, a non-study session with you guys here, and then cram school after that?"

She shook her head, dropping her eyes back to the paper and resumed the rhythmic play of graphite across paper.  
"I barely had energy to keep my eyes open by the time I got home."

Rei's words were a whisper, accusing in the silent room between them.  
"Are you okay?"

Their gazes met again.

Usually, searching someone empathically wasn't something Rei did consciously. Sometimes, during a conversation, she just felt the desire to know something and she would find foreign emotions washing over her like a mellow tide. Today though, as she stared back at Ami's cool sapphires, she searched. She dove, clawed, reached out for anything palpable.

All she was met with was the level stare of Ami's aquas. She searched empathically, even trying to go through the deeper connection of their senshi ties; but she couldn't get a hold on any of it. She couldn't even figure out what 'it' was.

She couldn't feel a thing.

"I'm fine, Rei."  
Ami's voice was light, breezing over the room and breaking the tension that seemed to have settled over them. Rei let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, fluttering her eyes closed as she willed the last remnants of vision from her body.

"Ah.. Right. Sorry."  
She blinked, clearing her vision to see Ami squint at her questioningly.

The miko stood with a shrug, searching for an easier subject for both of them.  
"I'll just.. go see if Gran-dah needs help with dinner then. He's cooking for three already. So you're gonna stay the night, too?"

Ami swallowed as her gaze fell to the floor, embarrassment easily readable on her features.

Rei paused in her steps beside her, running a light hand through silky blue locks in reassurance. She hushed the thought in the back of her head that told her she let her fingers linger there a moment too long. "Right, it's okay. You'll stay. I'll come get you when dinner's ready."

Rei paused inside her doorway, her back to Ami and the room. She hadn't planned or even expected it, but the words spilled out of her on their own.  
"You can stay whenever you like, Ami. I.. ah... I'll keep you safe. I hope you know that."

She pulled the door shut behind her, leaving the genius to her studies.

...

"Pizza for two, pretty girl. I got you a large, my treat - you look starved. You should eat more."  
Rei could feel the pair of dark, inky eyes settle on her as she pushed the tray of food towards the genius and got comfortable across from her in the booth.

"I won't be able to eat it all."

Rei matched the stare she was given with a grin.  
"I'm happy as long as you try, Ames."

The girl didn't answer, instead picked mournfully at a few toppings and stringy cheese.

The miko tried again.  
"You sure you're not hot? It's like.. 90 out and you're wearing long sleeves."

Ami only shook her head, dull eyes dancing lightly to Rei before falling to the bubbles in her drink.  
"No. I'm comfortable in this."

Rei had never been one for questions, so instead she dove into her own pizza, waiting patiently for Ami to speak on her own accord.  
"Cute butt," Rei muttered through a mouthful of pizza.

Ami's eyes rose heavily, first to Rei, then to Rei's line of sight to the exiting male behind her. "Oh."

Rei could have sworn the girl's eyes darkened for an instant, but then the blue sapphires drew back to the table before them. A slender finger dipped into the glass, gracing in slow circles at the cubes floating until they danced lightly, erupting into a clinking melody, the liquid lapping lightly at the sides.

After a moment, her finger came to a sudden halt, forcing the liquid and cubes to swirl in a back-current. There was a flick of hand, so fast that Rei only knew the glass was missing an ice cube by the way the water level in the glass dropped.  
"I loved someone once."

The bluntte's voice was dismissive, almost airy. Glad that Ami finally spoke up, Rei ignored the shocking revelation to not scare the girl off. Instead, she smiled warmly, leaning forward on the table with interest as she confronted the subject innocently.  
"Did you tell him?"

A cube seemed to appear out of thin air in Ami's hand, flipping between her fingers with no signs of discomfort. Rei watched Ami's fingers redden from the stinging cold; but the water senshi didn't even flinch, only wore a far-away look . "I couldn't. I.. get scared. I don't know how to let them in. I'm just the smart girl."

"Hey, it's not so bad. You just haven't found the right one yet. You let me in all the time, right? I'm not so scary."

Ami's gaze swivelled to catch hers, and something dark danced behind her gaze. Rei felt like a deer caught in the headlights. The ice cube stopped mid-motion, and Rei realized with a gulp that Ami was clenching it in a white-knuckled grip. "No. You're not. You... You let me in too."

Rei winked to ease the tension.  
"See, not so scary. Now you just gotta find the right guy that treats you _almost_ as good as me."

The cube dropped back into the glass with a splash, and Rei watched the now double-sized ice-cube bob back to the surface, dwarfing its other companions as soda dribbled over the sides.

...

Ami wasn't _like _this.

Since the girl had skipped yet another meeting, hadn't been home and hadn't answered her communicator nor phone and - on top of it all - her recent weird behaviour, the girls had been worried.

After the meeting, they had spread out to find her. They'd exhausted every source, every place they thought she _could_ be: The library, the pool, the Crown, the mall, even Mamoru's…

Rei had checked the park as a last resort, more to calm her nerves and go jog than to look for her. If Ami didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be. But here she was, sitting on a bench, looking over the lake, spaced out. She signaled the girls, told them she found her and that she would take care of her, before jogging over. They had sensed the worry in Rei's voice but didn't question.

Rei came up directly behind her, but Ami didn't even flinch. All the scouts had good senses, so why had Rei managed to get so close without the girl noticing - especially with her panting from the jog? With a sigh, she leaned over the bench, but the reduced distance still gained her no response. Ami's cheeks were drawn and pale. _Had she lost weight again?_ Her eyes had small bags formed under them, like she had been missing out on sleep lately.

"Ami?" she said it softly, just barely above a whisper, but still the genius jumped. With a sigh, Rei moved around the bench, looking the girl over more closely.

Ami tried to speak, but no words came out. It wasn't like the genius to be at a loss of words like this, and the miko found it all unnerving. Rei wanted to give everything to see to it that the storm brewing behind those eyes, cold and raging, was calmed.

"Okay, Ames. What's up?" The girl remained quiet, but her eyes spoke volumes. The miko shook her head and sat down with a resigned sigh. She had been prepared to launch into a torrent of questions, but now it seemed a lost cause in her current state. It didn't matter any more.

The miko stared out over the lake, trying to calm her own brewing thoughts. She'd seen Ami out of bad situations before, they all had. ..-but nothing compared to this. She didn't even know where to begin.

In the distance, a flock of geese sat atop the lake's flat surface. A giddy group of teenagers were tossing a Frisbee across the warm up-currents on the other side of the lake. The thick smell of daisies and dandelions floated up to her, their stems waving merrily in the breeze.

"Placid, today."  
She turned her eyes to girl next to her, searching the familiar glint of recognition.  
"The lake."

A struggle emerged onto Ami's features. Again, she tried to speak, but the fruitless attempt ended with a shake of her head. Rei couldn't place that last expression. Desperate, Rei closed her eyes, focusing on Ami's spirit. Tentatively, she tapped into her, but despite her efforts she got nothing.

Goosebumps formed on her arms.

She couldn't feel anything. Only an empty, dark abyss.

With a flinch, Rei jerked back and locked wide eyes with Ami's. This time, the look was evident on the bluntte's features - desperation.  
Her eyes were pleading. Rei's heart broke. She wanted to help, but she couldn't understand the questions behind the shedding aquas.

"Ami?"  
She lifted a hand to touch her cheek, to give her any form of comfort—  
Before Rei's fingers could gently grace her cheek, Ami's face twisted in pain and flinched away.

And suddenly she was gone. Rei found herself alone on the bench. She vaguely realized Ami had vaulted over the bench, was running away down the path.  
"Ami?"

Her hand was still poised in mid-air, her mind was working at a crawl.  
"Ami!" Following her instinct, she hurdled over the bench to chase her. But her rational mind curbed her impulse and she skidded to a stop, spraying pebbles and dust across the well-manicured lawn.

"Ami…" No, she needed to think; let her go. She stood there alone on the trail, frozen, unaware how long she stood there. Bikers and joggers simply veered around her the way water flows around a pebble in a stream. The activities of the park continued uninterrupted, the sounds of teenagers at play and bike spokes clicking in the warm air around her. Vaguely, she remembered turning around and sitting back down on the bench. Her mind swimming, she comm'ed the others, telling them to give Ami some time.

She remembered Usagi asking what was wrong. She answered the only way she knew how: She didn't know…

* * *

A/N: So after a LOT of persuasion, I've been convinced to take another look at this story. Thanks to TheKueken for going over it with me. With her help, it should be something that I'm proud of once we're finished reviewing it.


	4. All Your Darkest Fears

Ami was talking about _her._

Rei was fighting the sudden surge of memories and images, gasping for breath as Ami's bitter voice washed over had to go in - now - and break the awkward silence that had followed the harsh words, before the girls recovered and fired questions at the distraught blunette.

Rei slid open the door, justin time to see Ami pulling away from Usagi's reluctant gaze. The miko plastered on a smile and swung her eyes around the room.  
"Hey girls, did I miss anything?"

Thankfully, it worked. Ami didn't even look up, but everyone else snapped out of their trance at her bright words.

Usagi blinked, focusing her gaze on Rei and effectively directing the room's attention away from Ami.  
"No, nothing…Mina's been trying to talk to Kobayashi…"

This time Rei smiled out of relief; all she had to do was separate Ami from the others. Her eyes lit up as inspiration hit her.  
"Oh, I forgot - I gotta go print out my paper…"

Rei slid the tray onto the table in an unceremonious shove before perking up and swiftly exiting again.

An uneasy silence fell between Ami and the girls again. Ami refused to meet eyes with anyone. She had her eyes glued to her notebook, as she skittishly picked on her sleeves.

A long, unsteady breath escaped her. Usagi was once again the first to break the silence.  
"Ami, if you need to ta-"

To Ami's relief, Rei's voice cut through Usagi's concerned one.  
"Hey genius, get over here! My printer jammed, come work your magic!"

Ami sighed. With a roll of her eyes, she heaved herself up from her seat and left the living room, sliding the door back shut behind her.

She felt torn inside. As glad as she was to get away from the intensiveness that had built up in that room-.. would this be any better? How much was it helping that she was called to be alone with Rei?..-only so she could be forced to hover over the fervid miko?

She knew how hard this was going to be; just being that close to the miko would be torture and she didn't know if she could take it.

Her dread quickly changed to confusion when she found the office empty. The computer hummed lazily, but the desktop sat abandoned, the printer dead by its side. Why had Rei called her?

"Rei?"  
She walked down the dark hallway, spotting squares of light that were cast into the corridor through Rei's bedroom door. Was Rei in her room? Wasn't it printer problems that she had called her for?

"Rei, are you in there?"  
She paused at the door, her hand hovering over the latch. The ghost of a shadow moved behind the door. She began to slide the door open - slowly, cautiously.

"**_Re-!"  
_**Her voice hitched in her throat as she was firmly pulled into the room. Pain seared into her wrist. She gasped as she came within such close contact with her. The door slid shut behind her, she dimly heard the click of a lock and suddenly she found herself pushed against the door-frame.

Intense Amethysts.

Rei grabbed her firmly by the waist, pinning her to the door. She was trapped. Rei's eyes were blazing with resolve. As if realizing her own intensity, the miko's eyes softened, and she backed off a step. The sudden distance gave Ami a chance to catch her breath, yet the hands stayed glued to her waist, holding her in place.

"Ami, what's wrong with you?"  
Rei regarded her carefully through a watchful gaze.

Her eyes glistened for a moment. Ami felt so frail, so weak beneath the fire senshi's gaze. Her eyes hardened suddenly again with returning resolve.  
"Ami. You have to talk to me."

_Kami, no. She couldn't know. She mustn't know._

Panic kicked in. She wanted to run, away from Rei, away from her burning gaze and soft, warm and steadying touch. Ami's breathing started to hitch and she dropped her head. She tried to back away, but she was already flush against the door. Rei's interrogating gaze was heavy on her. Ami cringed, shutting her eyes and focused on her aching wrist.

A heavy sigh escaped Rei. Ami's eyes widened as she felt a warm, gentle hand upon her cheek.  
"I'm not the only thing bothering you right now, am I?"

All breath left Ami's lungs, leaving her gasping for air. _Did she just say that?_ She looked up to see concern plain on the miko's face; perfect pink lips pressed together in a thin, stern line, elegant eyebrows furrowed together in forced self-control, betrayed by the fires burning in the depth of her dark, intense, amethyst eyes...  
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, you know. Something else is up."

Rei's eyes fell away, pulling Ami out of her daze.  
"If something is wrong, you need to tell-"

Ami stiffened, as she felt cool air against the skin of her arm and followed the gaze of Rei's wide eyes down, where Rei had pulled up her sleeve; clean cuts red and angry against pale skin in the harsh, white light.

For a moment, Rei just stood there, her mouth held slightly ajar. A web of cuts and scars covered the inside of the genius' arm, continuing beyond her sleeve...

No youma did this.

Rei's voice returned to her, though barely a whisper, almost inaudible.  
"Di—Did you do this?"

It clicked. _Kami. She knew._

Ami's senses came crashing back into her. Her legs were shaking, quivering beneath her only steadied by Rei's hand against her waist. Ami pulled in a sharp breath..-and inhaled the fiery, sweet scent of Rei with it. The hand laid across her forearm was hot, burning against her chilled skin. Rei's words, even though they were at a whisper, echoed in her head with the accusation of it.

She ripped her arm out of Rei's and backed into the door. She started shaking her head furiously. _She mustn't know._ Her eyes brimmed with tears.  
"No…no…just scratches… No…."

"Ami, what-...?"  
She was shrinking against the door, wrapping her arms around herself tighter.

"N—No, no… It's not what you think, I didn't mean to-.."

"Ami..."

Rei took a step forward, closing the small gap and reaching out her hand to comfort her friend.  
"They're just scratches..."

"Ami…"  
She was on the brink of breaking, already shaking uncontrollably.

"_They won't scar!"_

"_Ami!"_

Everything went black.

* * *

She collapsed to the ground, Rei going with her.

Ami sobbed uncontrollably; hitching, body wrenching sobs shaking her with their force, and Rei held her through it all.

Minutes passed, but eventually the blunette's sobs slowed and her breathing returned to normal, if only exhausted.

Rei held the genius cradled comfortably in her arms, slowly rocking her and hushing soft words into her ear. Rei's chin rested on Ami's soft cushion of hair, while she sensed Ami gradually returning into her realm. She felt her relax against her; fathomless tension draining out of the girl for the first time in a long while.

Neither of them knew how long they stayed there. Silenced settled down on the room as the two of them lay there on the floor; Rei shielding and comforting the worn-out form of Ami's, both basking in the quiet and calm of the moment.

After a while, a distant noise caught Rei's attention and she stilled her motions. She lifted and tilted her head, listening for its source. Ami raised tired, questioning eyes to Rei's, but the miko shook her head, abandoning her distracting task, and took in a steadying breath. She returned to tenderly caressing the soft mat of Ami's hair and gently rocking the girl in her arms.

But as she did, Rei's thoughts raged.

Even now she could feel the helplessness coursing off Ami in unsettling, chilly waves. A helplessness that left her, Rei, agitated and angry, causing a confusing temper that wasn't her own. How could that happen? How long had this been happening? How could the girl become this distraught-.. leaving smart, verbally coherent and controlled Ami at loss for words and breaking down, to lose it completely and harm herself over it? How could Rei have let this happen? It scared her, maddened her; not knowing anything. Not fully understanding what had caused Ami to snap, or how she was supposed to react to what she had heard earlier and all its implications, or how deep the pain ran. How badly had the broken girl hurt herself already?

Rei sighed pointedly. She wanted to scream, to shake Ami, to ask a thousand questions. Carefully, she leaned over and lifted Ami's other arm, casting a glance up to Ami, wordlessly asking for permission and an explanation alike. But, Ami made no move to stop her - she let her do as she wished. Ami didn't want to talk. The girl was comfortable now.

Rei sat, inspecting the weary blunette's arm thoroughly. She carefully cradled her arm in her hand and ran her thumb feathery light over the cuts, feeling their bulges, roughness and raw heat bite against her digit's pad in harsh contrast to the smooth, porcelain skin surrounding them.

Taking a deep, resolute breath, Rei looked directly into blue eyes.

"This..."Getting used to the sound of her own voice breaking the silence, she let the word settle into the room before finishing her sentence."..This has to stop."She said it simply, stating a fact.

Rei paused to let her thoughts settle as well as to stress her point.  
"We take care of these…They'll heal. No scars."

The girl in her arms didn't speak, only nodded silently into her neck. No explanation, no question, no statement of resolve. Rei could feel the tenseness, the pain slowly drip away until there was only calm, like a fresh, damping haze.

Deliberate fingers graced along her neck, feather-light touches that cooled her skin and her eyes fluttered shut at the feel of it. It was surprising, how willing she was to submit to the genius's touch and the calming effect they had on her.

Yet, even as Ami's calm washed over her, her own thoughts were ablaze. When had Rei become so attuned to her that she was able to pick up on her constantly? What was the real cause of those cuts? What about Rei had made Ami so distraught earlier, so painfully forsaken? ...-distractingly, the foreign, cool hands upon her were calming, quenching. They instilled a quiet in her so deep and still that it was irritating. The hovering anger, that deep intensity that burned in her almost perished,eased for a moment.

Was this Ami's own calm that she was feeling, or her own?

Rei blinked at her own hand, realizing for the first time it had begun to run through the soft silk of Ami's hair. The sweet freshness of Ami's scent wafted from her, and Rei felt herself drawn to pull the girl closer into her embrace, inhaling the perfume and losing herself to the warmth of Ami's fragile form. Noticing a stray strand that obscured her view of Ami's relaxed features, Rei trailed her finger down and tucked it behind the girl's ear. Azure orbs looked unblinkingly up at her, still stained with tears and Rei couldn't help but gaze at the plain beauty in them, the vulnerability displayed so openly before her.

Was she taking advantage of the poor girl in her crumpled state? Did she even truly feel the same way back? How deep, exactly, did those feelings go? And wasn't this the worst of all times to question it?

_She's... beautiful?_

There was a moment of panic within Rei, as her thoughts caught up with her. Her heart began fluttering in her chest and fighting a blush, she tore her eyes off the blunette, taking a shivery breath to clear her raving-...

Her mind went completely blank when a pair of soft lips laid against her neck. An involuntary sigh escaped her lips and her eyes squeezed tight as her body reacted. She could feel her pulse rising, pounding, racing in her throat, and the heat rushing into her cheeks.

The lips upon her suddenly overly sensitive skin withdrew, and she could feel Ami watching, taking her in. She swallowed hard, opening her eyes to see the soulful eyes considering her carefully.

_I shouldn't be reacting like this. _

A part of her wanted to push her away, put distance between them, but that seemed like an insult that Ami's already broken heart wouldn't be able to take. Another, darker part of her wanted to pull her closer.

_This is wrong._

But Ami's eyes had fallen onto the tender spot of her neck again and the beating pulse beneath it, with apt attention. When the gentle lips returned to their intent, along with them a soft tip of tongue swept across the racing pulse. The surprise and pleasure of it pulled a gasp out of Rei that she couldn't suppress.

_She needs this. She's starving for absolution, for comfort._

Of their own accord, Rei's hands came to lay against Ami's back encouragingly and she could feel the girl absorb her, inhale her warmth like a a fevered addiction.

_Does she realize what she's doing?_

Rei pulled away with an intake of hard breath, and blinked down to Ami's own piercing eyes. The gaze that waited for her was piercing and lucid, not the unfocused, cloudy gaze she expected. Rei swallowed.

Ami knew exactly what she was doing.

With widened eyes, Rei stared back at the girl, searching her mind for answers the genius refused to speak, but bared to her with soulful eyes.

_What did she say before? She _had_ been talking about me after all. Does she really think I don't see her? Does she think I'm looking right through her? Does she really think I'm out of her league? ME? Does she think I wouldn't want her? ...Do I?_

Ami's eyes darkened, a ghost of a forlorn smile tugging at her lips. Greedy fingers clasped into Rei's neck,pulling her needily closer.

Soft lips fell upon her own. They were hot and hungry, and a soft tongue swept across Rei's lips. Ami smelled sweet, and dimly Rei noticed the cool silkiness of the girl's hair entwining with her fingers.

She tasted the saltiness of tears on her lips.

Rei broke the kiss with a flinch, pulling her head back to consider the woman before her. Rei's heart was pounding in her chest, her pulse racing like she'd run miles. Her throat was so tight she could barely breathe.

Rei blinked at the insistent sapphires before her.

She felt the absolute calm transpiring through her. But, Rei was _fire_. She was supposed to be intense, fervid. It's what drove her, what kept her going. So why was she not panicked when the burning, raging fire died down within her until there was nothing but embers?

She felt serene, quiet, comfortable. She felt Ami, felt her calming her.  
"...what are you doing to me?"

Ami didn't answer. She didn't even take a moment to search for words. Instead, the genius kissed her again with fiery lips, a burning touch, and parted Rei's lips with a demanding tongue.

Rei closed her eyes and gave herself in to the sensation. She could feel Ami's need, and she wanted it too. She wanted to feel the calm, drench herself in the lulling quiet that was Ami - Ami being the only one in the world she'd allow to calm her flames for a bit...

She felt whole.

She'd never tasted anything so sweet. The scent, taste, the feel of Ami filled her until she thought she would burst. But still, Rei wanted more. Ami's tongue was greedy, demanding, and somehow she found herself relenting, giving in the to sweet waves of pleasure that washed over her.

Rei's hands were curious and fiery-hot. They curled against the skin of soft, sensitive neck, graced down back and trailed down length of arms. Rei's fingers meta rough raspiness and continued to grace down the web of gritty scabs. Ami flinched. The smaller girl pulled away and dropped her gaze shamefully.

Rei stared down at the cuts displayed so openly before her, accusation in her gaze; not directed at Ami, but at the dark red marks for existing. Her eyes dropped down lower, where Ami's shirt had rode up and the skin there held a blemished, unnatural tint. With shaking fingers, Rei pushed the fabric up higher. Ami didn't stop her, only curled away further, slightly shivering beneath the cautious , Rei uncovered the pale green and yellow that spattered across the ivory skin on the girl's abs and lower ribcage.

The miko swallowed, hard. With a testy hand, she brought trembling fingers to the ugly bruises, circling them with a feather-light touch. A stronger shudder ran through Ami's body and Rei drew her hand away in response.

"Ami, what happened?"

The girl's trembling voice barely carried to her.  
"...I-...don't remember."

Rei raised a questioning hand above shirt. Ami took a deep breath, steadying herself, and resignedly leaned her body towards the miko;cautious, yet succumbed.

Warily, Rei unfastened the shirt button by button, watching Ami's reactions attentively. The blunette barely reacted; she had pulled her eyes up to the ceiling and breathed shakily. The miko found herself fighting back the urge to frown and cuss at the unruly shades of green and purple being revealed across the girl's body. When Rei loosened the last button, the shirt fell off her shoulder disobediently, exposing the vulnerable girl and all her injuries beyond intent.

"...You don't remember _any _of this?"

No response.

Rei bit her tongue. Hard.

The injuries glared at her. The colors and shapes were contrasting against the porcelain skin in the most sickening way. With shaking fingers, Rei pushed the other side of Ami's shirt away as well. Most of the bruises seemed to focus on one side of the fragile body in front of her. Rei flinched herself, as her fingertips brushed over the bruised and swollen, heated skin over Ami's ribs, ribs that otherwise seemed way too prominent. _She had lost weight. ...maybe she has a broken rib ...-or two. _

Rei's focus jumped back and forth at the disturbing myriad of injuries. Bright, clean cuts stood out - stark, gashing and precisely carved between each rib on her left side. With each breath the heaving of her chest stretched and tore painfully at the untreated scabs and swellings.

Rei licked her lips, tasting her own blood. With measured movements, she let the shirt fall back, the fabric vainly covering the offensive injuries. The miko threw her head to the ceiling, letting out a silent prayer to the gods as she tried not to be overtaken by the image of the injured girl across from her - and her anger towards the one that had caused it...

"Kami..."  
Her pulse was pounding, rushing through her ears and she tried to blink away the red clouding her vision. Dumbly, she realized she was already sliding her door open, her feet hollow against the cold floor as she stepped outside.

"Wait."


	5. Vulnerabilities, Revealed

The quiet of the empty room was deafening.

Ami sat on the floor, waiting for Rei to return. She wasn't scared or nervous. She didn't feel anything.

Eventually, after an untold passage of time, the door slid open again and Rei stepped in gingerly. Ami cast eyes up to see her carrying an armful of salves and bandages. Ami's eyes fell back to the flooring, searching there for some solution unsolved as she listened to the shuffle of Rei's lithe form around her.  
"Looks like the others left... It's just us now."

Rei kneeled down in front of her. She was so close she could feel the heat from the miko's hovering body. Ami refused to meet eyes with her, only nodded silently.

The hard edge that Rei's voice usually carried was gone, instead it was soft, soothing.  
"Let's get these cleaned up, yeah?"

Ami only shook her head weakly. She didn't want that. Rei had already seen her beaten form - witness her crack; seen her broken and weak and foolish. She didn't want Rei to see her again. Not like this.

Rei brought a light finger under Ami's chin, guiding it until their gazes met.

Almost instinctively, Ami flinched, trying to pull her gaze away but Rei held it, calm and encouragingly. She gently wiped away a tear of already dissolving despair as it trickled down porcelain cheek. Relenting, Ami nodded into the steady gaze.  
"...okay."

Rei stood first, leading Ami by her hand as she moved and pulling the blunette to her feet. Obediently, Ami followed her to Rei's bed, sitting down submissively, her eyescast to the side. Rei moved away to grab a chair that she dropped unceremoniously opposite Ami and sat down onto.  
"You need to take your shirt off."

Rei's voice was controlled as she gathered the medical supplies into her reach.

Ami complied with a vague nod, pulling the shirt off in slow, pained movements. She could feel Rei watching her, her expression unreadable, and she cringed internally. _Why did it have to be Rei? Who else _but _Rei could have convinced her to expose herself nevertheless?Only a simple touch, one intense look, and that was all it had taken. _

And now here she sat, bared and vulnerable before her. Raw, but to submit herself to Rei's will. To Rei's care. The wild, passionate fire-senshi, controlled and calm - almost tamed, in front of her. It was unsettling in its own way, but right then and there... It felt comforting. _Huh._

Rei's fingers were warm, almost burning hot against her own slightly chilled skin. She closed her eyes, blocking out the vulnerability and pain of-...everything. She felt Rei place a hand on her shoulder, guiding her to lean back a bit to allow Rei better access to her wounds. Her scared heart beat rapidly, pounding in her stinging chest, but she pulled in a breath and relented, leaning to her fire soldier's will.

A warm, moist cloth brushed softly, cautiously against her skin and she flinched again before she could help it. The touch drew away immediately in response. Ami opened her eyes and met cautiously waiting amethysts.  
"I'm not going to hurt you, you know."

Ami sensed her body tremble beneath Rei's fingers, both from the awaiting discomfort and sickening sense of exposure. Wordlessly, Ami drew in a hard, determined breath and nodded, giving Rei permission to continue._It's what Rei wants._ Ami let her eyes fall shut again and waited for Rei to resume.

A reassuring hand fell on her back, and Ami leaned her weight against it with a sigh. The cloth returned, and with Rei's warm touch at her back she didn't flinch this time. Rei's attention was intense and particular, her touch thorough but gentle.  
"This will burn."

Ami nodded quietly, steeling herself. A moment later, the searing sensation pierced through her; burning, scorching, stabbing at her cuts so fierce that she pulled in a sharp breath. Rei was relentless though, moving from one injury to the next in studied, focused movements, without pause, soft apologies on her lips between each injury until she was done cleaning all her cuts with iodine soaked swabs.

Rei's warm touch disappeared, and she opened her eyes to see the raven regarding her patiently until she recovered, a tape held between her fingers.  
"You should take better care of these."

Ami only nodded numbly, lifting an arm to give Rei better access as she taped the deep gashes closed. She did her best to ignore the feel and sting of Rei's fingers against her swollen skin, and the warm breath as it danced across her. Once finished, Rei ran a light, reassuring touch over the edge of the fresh tape.  
"They're not so bad."

With the glaring, stinging cuts one by one dressed and fading into memory, Ami found herself able to watch the raven before her.

Rei's eyes were frowned and stern, strong lines of concentration fell across her precious, unaware miko's features, her lips pressed together into a thin line. Ami felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips at the sight and softness of the touch gracing her skin. _She's trying so hard to remain calm. _It didn't surprise Ami, though. She knew, knew exactly the limits and extends of Rei's character. Most people, even her fellow senshi, considered Rei temperamental, fiery to a fault - but _she _knew better.

Rei was passionate about everything - about everything she loved. When it required a delicate touch, a subtle calm, Rei was avid and competent. She wasn't all fire and brimstone, but capable of whatever the situation required. ...like right now. She was a warm, gentle guardian, shielding her from their friends' drilling questions, soothing her pains. She was still intense - intensely caring.

Her eyes wandered down to the hands gracing her sensitive skin softly and her smile grew. Even despite the anger that was so apparent on the raven's features, her hands were steady, unshaken in the slightest. Her movements always practiced and calm, even when in the heat of battle.

_Just like when Mars is aiming her Flame Sniper._

She could see the particular image in her mind's eye. She assumed everyone else thought Mars zoned out completely when she aimed, but she knew better. She'd seen Mars hit bulls-eye during a hurricane. The warrior was always listening, always watching her surroundings, always aware. Of everything; the wind, the terrain, her fellow senshi, the enemy's movements.. -she saw it all. And then the whole world would still, and Ami couldn't do anything but watch - amazed by the beauty of it.

The strength and might, when Mars pulled the arrow back, willing her fire into a concentrated, deathly stake. The deep, penetrative focus that washed over her as she refused to take her eyes off the enemy. Her hair whirling around her in dangerous, untamed currents; the flames wrapping, licking at her and only feeding her further. The glint, the fire in her eyes that Rei herself, unlike Mars, rarely showed - it was intense, scary even, in its wrath. And then, a ghost of a smile would color Mars' lips for the split of a second and the arrow would fly - and it would always hit its mark.

She loved getting lost in the beauty, the strength and the determination of it.

It was not Mars sitting in front of her now, but Rei. Where Mars was hard edges and quipped words, Rei was soft edges and subtle tact. Still, she couldn't imagine knowing Rei without knowing her other half as well. What was Rei, without her Mars topush and guide her, and what was Mars, without her Rei to tame and focus her?They both have all the same strengths, they just carry them in different amplitudes. But they were both equally passionate - they _were _passion. ...the most loveable passion.

She loved Mars for her brashness, her fury, her intenseness and everything uncontained about her. She loved Rei for the competence, the strength, the force of will and the focus to bridle it; to not use it as a burden, but to be fueled by the untamed wildness of it all.

She couldn't imagine loving Rei without loving Mars as well. Mars/Rei came as a package, a whole. And she wouldn't want to miss any of it.

Ami flinched, the biting discomfort pulling her back to the harsh reality of the present in a single breath.  
"_Cold."_

Rei warmed the salve between her hands, but it was still chilly and afflicting against her skin.  
"Yeah. Very cold."

Ami gasped again at the uncomfortable sensation and Rei steadied her, pressing one hand against her waist, while applying the salve with the other at the worst of the bruises and swellings. Rei worked in silence for a few moments, Ami's fingers clenching tightly into the sheets beneath her, eventually relaxing under Rei's touch. She applied a sticky, greasy ointment,while Ami explained the name, ingredients and its versatile utilizations. She found a little comfort in the science as well as distracting amusement at the miko wrinkling her nose at the sticky substance and Ami's apparent extensive knowledge on the subject.

Rei raised her gaze to meet Ami's, her hands still working against the sensitive area, wrapping her inflamed, sensitive torso in a supportive bandage.  
"You sure there's no broken bones there? I mean.. it looks pretty bad... Can't there be like... internal bleeding or something?"

Her words were cut short by Ami vigorously shaking her head, and Rei was forced to lean back as Ami sat back up to her full height.

"No crepitus. No blood in the urine. No vomiting, no fainting, dizzy spells or confusion. No coughing blood. The pain isn't unbearable, no extreme pain while breathing, no shortness of breath. No broken ribs."

Rei moved from the smaller girl's ribs to arms without hesitation, picking a forearm up in a gentle hold and running fingers lightly over the hardened scabs before attacking the roughened cuts with cloth and iodine.

Rei arched an elegant eyebrow.  
"Crepitus?"

"It's used to refer to a 'crunching' feeling beneath the skin. Bone fragments get caught beneath the tissue, or the ruptured bone tissue grates against itself."

Rei blinked, pausing for the first time in her movements to pull her gaze up and level it on the blunette, returning to her task immediately afterward. The cuts cleaned and sterilized, she was now occupied with wrapping arms in soft bandages.  
"Ah. Well. I guess you're okay then."

Ami nodded, wordlessly shrugging back into her shirt, Rei's deep gaze boring into her as she worked the buttons closed.  
"What happened?"

Ami's eyes fell away, as she tried to come up with an explanation that could please Rei. _I fell...  
_"I-... I think, I ran into a bookshelf and knocked it over. Got buried beneath. Was an accident."

Rei's eyes furrowed.  
"Was there a knife on the shelf too?"

Ami swallowed, her eyes washing across the floor in guilt. She could feel Rei's penetrative gaze, but she had no words.  
"_Why?_"

"I... ah."  
Her eyes fluttered closed, willing her beating heart to stop its painful drumming against her sore chest. Her own voice was raspy, pained against the echoing silence.  
"I'm sorry."

"_You_ are-..."  
Rei stopped mid-sentence. Her intense gaze snapped away, dropping and landing on her own hands. She squinted her eyes, fire blazing within them.

Rei stood up, slowly, eerily quiet, slow, controlled steps she left the room - her fists balled at her sides as she walked, her footsteps heavy and her breath in huffs.

* * *

_You're sorry?_

The log landed heavy on the fire, spraying ashes and heat in every direction.

I_ am sorry._

The miko stood dangerously close to the fire while she stared at the log. Watched, as it was consumed immediately by sizzling, wild and greedy flames, engulfing the wood, turning it white within seconds; the searing heat cracking the glowing log from its core, shooting hot, gleaming sparks from the shake into the air. She crouched, balancing on the balls of her feet, her hair wafting behind her, caught in the up-current of red hot air.

_I am sorry for not seeing that you had feelings for me. For not seeing that you were in pain. Hurting so much, that you-.. began hurting yourself. But I can't figure out why._

Rei huffed a curse, rising quickly to pace restlessly across the cool wood flooring.

_Because I can feel ALL of you-... yet still none of it. Because I can _feel _your pain and your anger and your sadness and your frustration and now, your hope. But I don't know how to fix it. I don't know how to heal it. Because there's more to this than just me... -but even with you washing over me, I can't figure out what. There's a gap, a plausible gap. When I ask you about all those bruises, you really mean 'nothing'. So what can't you remember?_

_What am I missing? What isn't she telling me?_

Rei pulled a rough hand through raven-colored locks, finally halting her pacing in front of the fire, only to bounce angrily on her toes; her eyes reflecting the frantic rabid flames that she stared into so deeply.

_Whoever hurt you, I should have stopped it. Whatever happened, I should have protected you. _

She bit back another curse just in time. Even if things were falling apart, she was still feeding the _sacred_ fire. With the taste of iron on her tongue, she grabbed another log and scooted it into the fire, plunging her head into the heat as she did so. She closed her eyes, so close to the flames that she could feel the heat licking her, ensheathing her. She sat there, rocking on her heels, her face glowing against the oppressive heat; losing herself in the familiar sting, the infernal comfort of her element, as she searched for answers.

_I kissed her._

_I kissed my best friend._

_And I liked it. _

The miko turned and visibly jumped, pulling in a sharp breath._How long had Ami been there?!_ Ami stood just inside, leaning against the door-frame, her head tilted sideways as if studying something of great interest. She met her with a pair of silent, somber eyes.

Rei felt, more than saw the glint of guilt reflected in those attentive blue orbs. As if caught, the blunette ducked her eyes away to the fire.

"You shouldn't sit so close..."

Noticing her own proximity for the first time, Rei scooted back immediately, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

For a moment she just enjoyed the simple show of affection, the proof of Ami caring about her and showing it. For a short instant they met eyes, Ami returning the smile.

_Wait_.

Rei's eyes furrowed in concentration.

_That's not me._

_That's Ami. _

Hoping to hide the surprise on her features, Rei moved in one graceful sweep, standing before the bluenette and regarding her carefully.

_She's just so happy that I care._

The smaller girl did not react or make any sound, but dropped her crossed arms.

Rei let her eyes wash over her, waiting for a definite reaction. When none came, she shrugged, ridding herself of the awkwardness and held out an inviting hand.  
"Come on. I know you're tired."

Ami followed obediently, silently along the halls but paused at the door to Rei's bedroom.

While their shuffling steps echoed loudly in the empty corridor, the wash of Ami's emotions returned, mixing with her own anew. She could feel the ease of it, the pleasantness of Ami as she led them to her room.

_She's actually happy..._

Rei's eyes fluttered closed, concentrating on the familiar emotions of the blunette behind her, letting her feet guide her along the familiar halls she knew so well.

_There's something missing. _

Where was that cool logic of her, that quiet reason that she knew so well?

_She's dazed... Numb, even._

Rei stopped at her door, turning to regard her fellow senshi. Where her empathy reached its limits, Ami's eyes told the rest.

_You're not sorry for any of it. You're not even here, really. You just thought that's what I wanted to hear. You're just content, with me caring. _

The miko pushed the door open silently, waiting for the smaller woman to enter before her. Instead she paused outside the door, as if waiting for something.  
"I.. ah, need something to sleep in."

"We'll take care of that. I have some nighties you can wear."  
Ami entered the room quietly, and Rei watched on, silently brooding before she followed in herself. The relief hit first, but was immediately replaced by a dark blanket of guilt.

_Best not let her give in to that... _

Doing her best to ignore those feelings, Rei quickly padded over to her drawers, listening to Ami settle herself onto her bed.  
"Here."

Ami raised wide eyes to Rei, before letting them fall to the long pants and silky tee sitting next to her.  
"Go ahead and change. I'll be back in a bit."

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hey."

There was an awkward pause. She knew she had to update the girls, but now that she was on the phone with their leader, what was she supposed to say? She couldn't even say the girl was okay - not truthfully, not yet anyway.

The miko straightened her throat.  
"Uhm... She's with me... tonight... She's asleep right now..."_...after we had kissed._

There was a pause as Minako processed this.  
"Is... Is she okay?"

"She... _will_ be. I'll make sure of it. She just... needs some time."

"So... We still don't know anything... Do we?"

She sighed heavily into the phone.  
"No. She..."_ She cut herself._ She couldn't say it, didn't want to betray the girl's secret. As horrible as it sounded in her head, she knew it would sound so much worse out loud. No, she couldn't tell them, not like this. Who had to know? The cuts would heal, and Ami could tell them if she felt the need - right?

Rei straightened her throat again.  
"She.. ah.. I'll see how she is in the morning. I'll see if she wants to stay here tomorrow... To catch her breath..."

"Is that..."  
Another pause as the blond searched for the right words. They were both aware that everyone was more than worried about the genius' mental state, but it felt like a sin to speak it. "...safe?"

"I... _think_ so. I'll see how she's gonna feel in the morning. She..."  
Her voice dropped to a whisper, the leader on the other side had to strain to hear her over the line, even in the silence of the late night. Rei swallowed. Her mouth felt dry. "...She cried... a lot of poison out."

Everything felt so surreal. Maybe if she blinked her eyes, she could wake up from this bad dream and things would be back to normal. If she went into the next room, would she find the sleeping figure still there, the angry red patterns across her pale skin still glaring at her, accusingly? They were senshi; protectors, guardians, soldiers fighting against otherworldly evil. These things didn't happen to them - did they?

The blonde swallowed, gathering her thoughts.  
"I... I knew something was wrong. Usagi was going to check, but I ah... heh. I tripped. Took a couple plates with me on the way down... heh, sorry. Anyway, it got really quiet. I was sure you had it covered, so I made Mako invite us to the Crown."

_Smart girl...  
_"Heh. Thanks. You're a genius - ..sometimes."

The blonde giggled.  
"Always on duty! Also, Mako pulled me a huuuuuge teddy bear out of the crane. So, we passed the time."

She pulled in a quick, desperate breath, searching for the right words.  
"I had to talk to her - alone. I, I knew it had to be me. Because-... I saw her... before, like that. At the park. And then.. it all went wrong.. She needed-..._me_. I called as soon as I knew she was asleep for good."

"Yeah, I figured... You know, she was... weird... before you called her away. She's been... _weird_, Rei, for a while now. Take care of her."

"Yeah. Tell Usagi for me."

_...that we don't know much at all._

"Sure. I will. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Night."

* * *

Rei sighed, running a hand through dark locks. She slid the door open quietly, and leaned her form against the frame as she watched the sleeping figure already curled up in her bed.

_It's two in the morning, Rei. You can't put this off any longer._

Rei straightened her back and stepped into her own room on nimble feet, sliding the door shut behind her. She sat soundlessly next the sleeping girl, onto the edge of her mattress. _She tasted so good..._ Rei shook her head harshly, banishing that thought as soon as it had come. S_he probably didn't even know what she was doing... Should I just get the futon? _

"What am I going to do with you?"  
Ami barely responded in her sleep, tipping her head up slightly at the sound of the warm voice and edging closer.

Rei suppressed a yawn, but it found its way through her clenched teeth. The hissing sound caused the curled up form to quiver before her. It was just a short shiver at first, barely noticeable. But as Rei finally gave in to her fatigue and curled next to her, it grew; stirring the poor girl's fragile body until almost the whole bed shook.

Fear and sorrow built up in Rei as a barely audible whisper escaped the shuddering blunette, still deep asleep.

Rei leaned over and hushed soft words to the girl, pulling her into a gentle embrace.

The body next to her woke with a painful jerk, and a sharp gasp of breath. Ami's body tensed so hard, she felt like a rock against her.

The fear gripped her like ice.

It took everything in Rei not to react to the cold-alienating fear gripping her so tight the breath caught in her throat. She wrapped her from behind in a steady hold with slow,careful movements.  
"Ssshhh, shhh. It's just me."

A shaky, unsteady breath escaped the blunette. Ami relaxed gradually against the miko's body, and Rei could feel the fear bleed out of her as quickly as it had come.  
"Shhh, go to sleep now."

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have.. I'm so sor-"  
The blunette's words were staggered, fragmented from sleep and fatigue, the implicit sorrow washing over Rei in waves.

Rei cut her off.  
"Shhhh.. Just sleep now."

"I shouldn't have-"  
She could hear the blunette's voice cracking from the strain of it all.

"I don't care about any of that right now."  
Rei's voice was commanding and short.

The body beside her went silent in shock at the abrasiveness of it. Rei sighed, immediately regretting it and curling against the body beside her, her words softening to a whisper. "It doesn't... It doesn't matter. Right now I just want you to sleep. And I'm gonna be here no matter what."

The tears in Ami's eyes stilled, and with a sigh, Rei brought a soft thumb up to wipe the remnants of shed tears in the dark.  
"We'll work it out. Just go to sleep for now. I'll be right here if you need me. That's never gonna change."

Silently, the genius nodded, relaxing against the warm body. Realizing the girl wouldn't sleep without her, Rei settled in more comfortably against her, tucking arm underneath Ami's nook of neck and curling tightly against the worn figure.  
"Sleep."

A single sniffle, and Rei felt the tense muscles of back relax beside her.  
"Hai."

Rei laid in the dark for what felt like forever, listening to Ami's breath until it eventually evened out and Ami was sound asleep in her arms. Her thoughts were raving as Ami's steady breath played rhythmically against her arm. Eventually, sleep overwhelmed her as well.


	6. Going Through the Motions

She slept dreamlessly; no nightmares, no reenactments, no haunting thoughts or memories. She couldn't remember the last time she slept that good. Rei was there. There were no night-sweats. Nothing but sweet, lasting sleep.

Rei's gentle voice and touch lulled her from her dreamless state. A hand tenderly caressed her cheek, and her eyes fluttered open to see Rei's angelic figure hovering over her.  
"Ami…It's morning…"

Was it? Had she heard the alarm go off? Confusedly, she blinked the sleepiness from her eyes but still no coherent thoughts came.

"You can stay here if you want to… You still seem really tired."

Ami fought hard for logic, lucidity and clarity. She gasped as the world came back into view, memories of the previous night washing over her.  
"No…I have to go to school…"  
She breathed again as she pushed herself up, Rei scooting back slightly to give her room.  
"I can't miss."

Rei sighed.  
"You can stay here. Sleep. Eat something, and rest… You need to rest.. You're-…"  
The miko's voice drained away when Ami leveled her with a determined glance.  
"You want breakfast?"

Ami sighed at the heavy tone of defeat in the raven's voice.  
"I just… I can't miss school - especially now. Finals are coming. And besides…" shefrowned at her own empty excuse, "I hate makeup."

Rei leaned closer again, and planted a feather light kiss on her forehead, lingering for a moment.  
"Okay, if that's what you want. I'll go get you some food. You go shower; I'll bring in your clothes. I hung them up last night."

* * *

The water was warm and soothing. It relaxed her tense muscles, woke her hot streams stung and needled at her injuries, but the thorough cleansing made her feel lighter, taller when she finally stepped out of the steaming stall. The blunette blinked at the fogged room, feeling infinitely better, the tiles cool beneath bare feet, wondering how much time had passed.

Her eyes swiveled across the room, searching, as she toweled herself idly. She smiled when her eyes landed on their intended target. There were her clothes, cleanly pressed, hanging next to the door and waiting for her to wear. Her eyes widened as she saw what laid with them. _ Actually, it would be quite challenging to get through her day with these kinds of distractions_. On the hanger, with her uniform was a lacy set of bra and panties, both a deep shade of mauve.

As she picked up the silky material her mind reeled as thoughts of Rei wearing it flooded her mind, and the light scent of them wafted up to her; a whiff of incense and fiery ash.

She slipped the garments on quickly, as a knock on the door disrupted her thoughts.  
"Hey Ami? It's getting late…"

Hissing a curse below her breath, she quickly finished buttoning her skirt, grabbed her shirt and rushed out the door.

Ami padded into Rei's room on light feet, fumbling with the shirt all the way. She'd been in such a sudden rush that she hadn't bothered to dry herself completely. She pulled the shirt over her head roughly, but it clung and stuck to the moist skin of her arms, shoulders and wet hair. She let out a huff, pulling at the adhered fabric, but it was wrapped and twisted in all the wrong ways. With a grunt, she pulled harder, and the fabric snapped down to cover her mauve clad chest. For a short second, she was relieved, but that quickly died away into frustration again as she realized the fabric had only bunched itself further along the way, her stomach and hips still vulnerable to the cool air.

Determined to be the master of her own clothing, she set to unroll the insubordinate fabric with more focused motions, as she realized the miko sitting at her desk, observing her hassle quietly. Ami blinked up at her, stopping her fiddling to take in the still that was Hino Rei: long, languid, crossed legs barely covered by her teasingly short school skirt; an elbow resting on the back of her chair, a single eyebrow arched elegantly above sparkling eyes, staring appreciatively and somewhat knowingly at her; an amused ghost of a smile - pulling at the corners of rosy lips.

Suddenly, the chair before her was empty, and Rei was standing, her dark eyes running across the tatami floor, her fingers straightening the hem of her skirt, a light blush coloring her cheeks. Rei straightened her throat with another fidget, the blush across her cheeks growing darker as she started towards the door.

"Sorry..."  
Rei's body was unnaturally warm against her own as she brushed past, the breath of that word lingering on Ami's cheek. And then, Ami was left alone, blinking confusedly at the empty room, the sound of the door sliding back shut behind her.

_Well, that was different...but nice, I think. _

* * *

They weren't so late after all.

The two of them descended the shrine stairs to see the other girls waiting excitedly for them at the bottom. Whatever questions the others may have had, they thankfully held, even if their glances were leery and prying.

"Sooo... Have you heard? Yusuke Amade is releasing his new album."  
Usagi grinned hopefully at the other girls.

"Wasn't that, like, last month?" Makoto raised an eyebrow at the smaller girl.

"Oh, you are talking about that movie soundtrack, right?!" The perkiness and excitement of Mina's voice was infectious. On Makoto's and Usagi's equally confused looks, Minako dug deeper into her tabloid database. "Ah, that really sweet movie? With the guy and the girl, that met at that place..."

The relief of burden was so great that Ami actually felt herself standing taller.. The others continued on with the conversation, leaving Rei and Ami to straggle along behind in relative peace.

Ami sighed to herself, realizing that Rei's point of departure was upon her. Suddenly, she felt flooded anew with questions and worries. Would she make it through the day, without Rei's gentle touch guiding her? What if the pain returned? What, if it never actually left...? What if she woke up from this pleasant dream?

A gentle touch whispered across her back. She risked a glance to the raven beside her; the fire soldier was not watching her, but the girls before them. Finding them still distracted by their own devices, Rei turned a set of intense eyes upon Ami.

Rei's breath was warm against her cheek, a whisper that only she could hear.  
"You'll be okay. Just make it through the day, and I'll be waiting for you."

As quickly as the warmth and comfort had come, they were gone; leaving Ami with a light chill, as she watched Rei speeding her steps to approach the others for their ritual good-bye's.

She was left to stand, wordlessly watching Rei walk away, the strong profile of her; smiling and leaving her cold, desperate for warmth. She hugged her books against herself, against the chill and the solitude and the struggle, but Rei's form disappeared around the corner and she was gone.

She blinked. Suddenly, she was all alone. Alone but to fight the battles of her own day, to face her demons and her pain. The other girls, unaware of her inner torment continued in their trek without a glance back.

Ami sighed heavily to herself as she fell in step behind them. She had wished Rei had stayed. She wished, Rei had held her for a moment, so she could have had a chance to find a moment of bliss to help her through the day. She wished, she had realized Rei saying good bye to her sooner, so she could have held on to her, savored her, could have lingered in the proximity of Rei's scent for a bit longer...

For an instant, she wanted to chase her. To run after the bliss and the warmth and comfort and the safety that was her Rei.

"Ami, you okay?"

She blinked up, to see three pairs of eyes staring at her. Her head screamed, her body tensed. Her throat closed so tight that suddenly she found it hard to breathe. She forced a swallow - hard and thick and painful and bowed her head against the weight of it all.

_She said she'd be waiting. She said you'd be fine. _

A breath escaped her. One long, deep, cleansing breath and she felt the cool calm that was Mercury wash over her.

_You are fine. _

She nodded to the voice she knew so well. The voice that was hers and yet was not, and raised determined eyes to the faces waiting.  
m"I'm fine."

* * *

They sat outside for lunch, in the cool shade of a tree. The sun glossed everything with a bright glint, a cool breeze licking happily at their clothes.

Mina stretched happily against the trunk behind her, enjoying the occasional sunbeams peaking through their protective canopy. She smiled at Usagi's not-so-sneaky thievery as the girl gradually ate half of Makoto's lunchbox. Makoto didn't seem to mind at all; she just munched away on her sandwich, idly letting her free hand stroke over the patch of grass next to her. A bit further away a pretty guy, whom Minako recognized as their soccer school-teams' left striker, waved at her and she casually waved back. Makoto raised a questioning eyebrow at her, but Mina just grinned and wiggled her eyebrows, before a motion to her right caught her attention. Ami had just set her book aside.

_Wait. _

Ami set a book aside? That was... new?

Wondering what kind of book would make Ami lose interest, she reached out to inspect it, as Usagi nearly toppled over some water bottles to get a better look herself.

"Whacha got there, Ami?"

Ami opened her mouth to speak, but Mina cut her off.  
"Is it _ecchi?_"

Mako let out a snort, taking a crumb from the lunch the pigtailed blonde was relieving her of and let it fly into Mina's direction.  
"That's you," she sneered good-humoredly between chews.

Minako scrunched her nose as the crumb bounced off her forehead and pebbled down her features, then stuck out a tongue at her offender.  
"Hey, I'm furthering my education, thank you very much."

Makoto almost choked on her bite, swallowing it hastily before gaping wide-eyed at her. Next to Mina, the heat of Ami's full-body-blush almost singed her side, and Usagi busied herself, trying to prick the half-eaten sandwich from Mako's limp hand.

The revelational moment was cut short by a series of whistles and booty-calls not twenty feet behind them. A group of noisy punks walked by, hi-five'ing each other, attention directed intently at their group.

_Are they whistling at me? I don't even like them. And they don't like me either that much... yet. _

"Gonna invite us to your bento, Kino-kun?"

"No, that's a lady's-only invite, I heard..."

_Wait, what?  
_Her eyes swung around to the rest of her own group in confusion, but Makoto's emeralds had settled to a steely shade.

Another group-laugh echoed over the grounds as the gang wandered off. Mina's eyes furrowed as the calls faded into the distance, a question on her lips.  
"Mako, what's going on?"

Makoto just shrugged.  
"Some punks."

"...some punks that know your name? What happened?"

"He wouldn't take a no for an answer. I thought he had finally given up, but I guess it's his way of getting back."  
Makoto shrugged, popping the solitary grape left in her lunchbox into her mouth as Mina let out a huff of disbelief and a bubble of laughter as realization hit her.

"...Wait_. You're _the new lesbian everyone's talking about?"

Makoto's eyes lightened up and a sly smile tugged on her lips.  
"Apparently."

A fit of giggles erupted from the group. After a moment, Mina, wiping her eyes, managed to stifle out, "So, who's the lucky girl?"

The blond was met with a smirk as well as a winkthat took her by surprise.  
"Any takers?"

The bell cut through the air sharply, making them all jump and effectively breaking the mood. There was a busy silence for a moment as everyone gathered up their things. Makoto threw her backpack over shoulder, leading them all back inside.  
"Hey, did you guys know there's a new restaurant opening up by my place?"

Usagi was the first to respond.  
"Did you want us to meet there, try it out together?"

"Ahhhhh, actually."  
The brunette's steps slowed as her eyes fell to the ground, giving the others a chance to catch up with her longer stride.  
"...I was thinking about picking up a job there."

There was a pause of stunned silence as the group processed this. They had a lot on their shoulders already; besides being regular teenagers with their school obligations, they were senshi as well, including erratic, date-ending, life- and future-of-the-entire-world-threatening fights. As if THAT wasn't more than enough to worry about, why add more to the pile?

Makoto's teeth worried over lip. Like all the senshi who faced a big decision, she wanted the approval from her, her leader. The rest of the group's eyes had fallen on Minako as well, waiting for her response. Having a rare moment, Minako paused, considering her words before she spoke.  
"Is it-.. Do you need money?"_How _did _Makoto even support herself?_

Makoto shook her head definitely.  
"No, it's not about money at all. I-... Got that taken care of..."

Sensing Mako's unease at the subject, Mina browsed her brain for other reasonings.  
"So, then, are you bored?" _She is incredibly strong, maybe the fighting doesn't wear her out as much..?_

"No! ...I ...I just thought it'd be good... experience for me. Learn the ways, you know."

The two met eyes for a quick second, both questioning. Mina watched as Mako's eyes lit, as another, very important detail crossed her mind.  
"And, if something... happened.. You know... a... youma... Of course...!"

Minako couldn't help but grin to herself. _Yeah, always reliable Mako...  
_"Wouldn't expect any less of you."

The amazon's eyes darted to her.  
"Really?"

"Yeah! I who am I-..." Minako smirked. This was it: Makoto, a fellow senshi, a close friend, asking her permission on a personal life decision. Well, it was all part of the job description, Leader of the Inner Senshi, wasn't it? Still, it didn't mean, she enjoyed that part. "I mean, if that's what you really want?"

Ami perked up, always the logical one.  
"It'll be hard... balancing it all."

"Yeah, I think.. I think I can handle it. I'll never know if I don't try, right? And this.. maybe this is a good way to test it out."

Ami nodded back, settling behind her desk.  
"Sure. Just let me know if you do need some extra tutoring, even off-hours, if we won't see you at the shrine. You don't need any right away?"

"No, I think I'm good for right now. I've been trying to keep ahead on my own... Since I saw that shop sprout up, I guess."

"You should do what's best for you, Makoto."

Makoto smiled, turning to Usagi behind her, but the sensei walked in, disrupting their conversation and she settled back into her seat. Minako let her eyes rest on Makoto for a little longer, before she noticed the teacher casting her glares for not even trying to pretend to follow his lecture. With a quiet sigh, she turned her gaze onto the empty sheet in front of her, letting a pen hover above it. _Things are definitely starting to change..._

* * *

Sailor Mars nocked her arrow and leveled it at the youma. She could feel its power course through her body. She smiled as the warmth engulfed her, licked over her and she felt the rush of impatient excitement that came along with it. The raging monster fell into her aim, and she smiled knowingly. Even before she released the heated projectile, she knew it would hit its mark.

Something wasn't right.  
She could feel something off, tickling at her sixth sense; something that wasn't supposed to be there. It was rage - pure, blind rage and not an ounce of reason.

A flash of blue flew past in her peripheral. Rei flinched as a wave of secondary rage and determination hit her.

Mercury was headed in a full run toward the monster, her head bowed in determination, her fist already raised with an attack ready to blindside it.  
"Mercury!"

Mars' arrow went flying, careening uselessly at the ground as she started after her. Jupiter barely dodged it in time, the heat of it leaving searing marks across the soles of her shoes. Mars was only a few steps behind Mercury, as the youma raised a clawed hand, roaring voraciously in anger, but Mercury wasn't stopping.

"Damnit!"

Her feet were pounding against the singed grass while she reached out to stop the smaller girl before her. She could feel the skin of her arm buzzing, crawling with a familiar electricity. Even as she took the last step and vaulted through the night's cool air, she heard the crackle as Jupiter summoned her attack.

The claws were glistening in the moonlight, razor sharp as they swept down toward Mercury's head, but the blunette was still running head-on as if asking for her own annihilation.

Mars hit Mercury like a rocket. She barreled into her form as hard as she could; the impact took the blunette off her feet, pushed the air out of them both and she felt Ami's head rock on her shoulders from the impact. As their bodies rushed through the air, she could feel the whisper of claws above them, so close that she felt their current brush sharply through her hair.

The relief flowed through her like a cool breeze. For a fleeting second, she thought she'd made it.

Then pain ripped through her like daggers. White-hot knives carved down her back. The fabric of her fuku gave way like paper, and even before the youma had finished its swipe she felt the warm flow of blood spout.

The world around her went quiet. She felt weightless, numb. She lost all sense of sound, gravity and time. All she felt was the white-hot pain and all she saw were the staggered, panicked blue eyes in front of her.

Then the world crashed back into her. The ground was unforgiving, unyielding. She fell prone against Mercury's form, and the hard, angry impact sent spots across her vision.  
Mars heard herself groan, her back arched from the merciless pain.

"Ami."  
Electricity crackled behind her, mixing into the white-noise of the ongoing battle. Her own gaze was desperate, pleading, the command plain in it to reach the recklessly acting girl.  
"Stop. You have to stop."

The monster let out a pained roar, and she swore she felt the earth shake beneath her. She turned her head to see, framed by the night's city sky line, a bleary, giant shadow approach them.

She tried to raise her hand to the approaching figure, but her shoulder stayed disobediently, limp and useless at her side as she watched the dark form hover closer.

She felt more than heard the heavy steps of the creature against the battle-riven ground until it was so close that the rotten, decrepit stench of its heavy breathing and groaning covered them in an acid death-thread.  
_No. Ami. _

Finally, her hand obeyed and she lifted it, shivering, jittering weakly before the creature.

It bowed low over them. Unsteady blazes flickered from her palm, and her whole body shook with the effort of it, sweat forming on her forehead.

_Fire, damnit. FIRE. _

She was helpless but to watch the dank, massive form encroach further... Something was raised above them, preparing to strike and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

Mars could barely breathe in her struggle for consciousness. The flame in her palm flickered, then died, as her inner flame ceased with it. The world started closing in on her, the thick, suffocating black swallowing her.

_No..._

And then, she felt it - a rushing, paramount, potent sea of blue.  
_Ami. _

It flowed into her like a rising tide; felt like a sea, welling within her, but there was nothing calm about it. It was filling, flooding through her, spurring and pulling her own flames with it, breathing into her.

She gasped at the refreshing sensation and she realized Ami's hand had joined her own. With her own strength to hold it up gone, Mercury kept them both up. She sighed, thankfully, tiredly as her body relaxed and her own power rushed forward involuntarily to meet the call of the deep blue sea.

Then the world became white. She submitted to the vast, driving power as it rushed up through her, ran obediently to meet her Mercury's calling. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the glaring might of it; surrendering herself to Ami. The last thing she knew was the sweet soft smell of her and the intoxicating feel of their combined power lashing out in a deafening burst.

Finally, Rei sighed against the warm body below her and let the glaring white overtake her.

* * *

A/N:

I'm pretty sure Minako's description of ALL her movies are exactly the same:  
'There's a guy and this girl, and they meet at that place.'


	7. Ripples

_The pain was cutting and red. It filled her lungs, bubbled within her throat, filled her veins with white-hot fire that burned and melted, crawling and settling deep within her skin._

_"Drink," said a familiar voice._

_The sick was dank and heavy, green with weight and it settled over her like a dark cloud, weaving itself across her spirit and into her bones. Her skin crawled, her bones ached with an itch and blister that plagued her on both planes. _

_"You need to drink..."_

_The bright, hot red mixed with the heavy sickening green and they fought within each other, the pain and the sick weaving a thick and heavy cloud and all she knew were their ugly colors. And still, the cooling voice told her to drink..._

_"Please, Rei. Drink..."_

* * *

Rei cracked open aching eyes, realizing a thousand things all at once.

That she was alive. That she was safe. That she lay in her bed, in her own room. That the heavy bandages lay thick and heavy against her back. That underneath the bandages she could feel the hot, red itch as the swelling pounded against her torn muscles. That her back ached - the long, deep ache that touched her to the bones.

That Ami's head rested next to hers, the girl lost in a deep and peaceful slumber. That Ami had been the last she remembered and the first she sensed when she woke.

_So.. what exactly happened?_

_I was-... We were goners. I was trying to summon my power but I was drained. Did Ami pull it from me? How?_

She lay there on her stomach, pulling in the scent of the blunette next to her, listening to the soft melody of her relaxed breathing. Lately, Ami felt gripped in a cold calm, so cool and controlled that she wondered what she was hiding. Now, deep asleep, she felt only the cool draft she was used to - the familiar one she missed. A soft quiet lingered about her, a light blue that settled over her like a blanket, cooled her own fires and let her breathe.

_...That wasn't just an attack. That was.. power. Raw power. Our combined, raw power. And I didn't have a thing to do with it. _

Over the past few weeks, she had gotten addicted to the cool calm of the Mercurian. Especially after an intense fire-reading, she found herself craving, seeking to bask in the cool breeze of her. Occasionally she'd sense her near, and she'd follow the pull through the shrine until she would finally slide open her bedroom door to find her there. It always brought a smile to her face, to see her lost in a textbook, buried in it and unaware of the passage of time, unaware she was yet to spend another night at the miko's place. And the calm would wash over Rei, brushing away the intensity that still dripped and clung to the fire soldier.

_How did she pull it from me?_

She decided, suddenly, instantly, that Ami was too far.

Rei bit her lower lip, as she eyed the slack girl hanging onto the side of her bed; her head flat on crossed arms, the silky blue hair that had long lost its form, the rest of her fragile figure crumpled, void of shape as she snoozed painfully close next to her - yet not close enough.

Rei lifted her torso, edging to the brink of the bed. Ignoring the sting from her back, she leaned over, wrapping an arm around Ami's stomach, carefully pulling and leading her lithe body into bed beside her.

_I let her pull it from me. I gave her that power. _

The blunette roused slightly at the movement.  
"Rei.. you're awake..."

Rei rolled over onto her side; the pull and play of her muscles creaked inside her, the stretch of them protesting the motion but she ignored it with a grunt. With a final, hard, stinging tuck she pulled the smaller girl closer until held her securely, and smiled, satisfied as Ami curled against her form like she belonged there.

_I gave her that power when I trusted her. She's had it for a while now, I just didn't realize._

Still, Ami fought her losing battle against sleep. Instantly, Rei could feel the warm body relax, the cool solitude that was Ami flow into her and she was blanketed in peace. Ami's voice was lilting, weak in her weary resolve.  
"...Your bandages.. I have to..."

"Shhhh. I want to stay like this."  
Ami's arguments died away and Rei let sleep overtake them.

* * *

Rei woke when she felt the warmth of Ami leave her. Her eyes fluttered back shut as she heard the familiar sound of the nymph's feet against hardwood floor, her door slide open and the footsteps totter out into the hallway.

She opened her eyes groggily when she felt the depression of body next to her. She would have drifted off again, but she heard the rustle of plastic as Ami fumbled with something behind her. Rei yawned, finally admitting defeat when she realized Ami was sitting behind her, recognizing the sound of the first aid kit's latch. Ami's cool hands against her skin were lulling as she pushed up the fabric of Rei's pajama top, but stopped mid-motion; the cool of her palms lingering palpably over Rei's burning back.

"I have to change your bandages."  
Rei nodded dully, already stretching out onto her stomach obediently as Ami focused on her work; her hands refreshing, cool and confident against her aching back. The bandage stuck painfully and Rei sucked in a hard, pained breath as it was pulled away from her over-sensitive skin.

"Easy, easy. Sorry."  
They both paused for a moment as Ami studied the gash, and Rei was thankful for the break between bandages. She realized, as she lay there under the genius' scrutiny, that she wasn't bothered by this. Her vulnerabilities were displayed, unhindered to the genius. But Rei's eyes fluttered closed at the soothing blunette's voice, and she felt no shame, no anger as Ami fussed over her wounds.

Ami hushed her softly, and Rei braced herself as a second bandage was ripped away.

She hated showing her injuries, her weaknesses. But they didn't _feel_ like weaknesses. Not after Ami had exposed her own. It only felt.. right. She knew that Ami would still see her as capable, strong-willed Rei. So what if Rei had a few battle-scars? She knew Ami would be there to mend them, and she'd be there after they'd healed, standing right beside her in battle.

Ami whispered another soothing sound and the third bandage was peeled painfully from her. _Worth it_, Rei thought through gritted teeth. She could feel the girl's reprimanding look under soft lashes, the lilty voice soft and apologetic even as it chided.  
"I told you I needed to change your bandages."

"Mmmm. I was comfortable._" She makes me comfortable. She gives me peace._

The thought was a sudden revelation, and Rei found herself reacting before the thought had fully materialized. Rei was moving, automatically, to twist around and better see the woman sitting above her. Ami gasped, pulling her hands away as she watched the scabs rip open, the blood seep heavily from tearing wounds. Ami hissed angrily in her throat, and when that didn't work, slapped at Rei's arm.

"Stop! You'll rip!"

Rei only grinned, pushing herself up as her back groaned in torrid, deep pulses until she was facing the blunette. She lifted her other hand to guide Ami's chin and despite protests,the glaring genius followed the pull of Rei's fingers. Rei brushed her lips against Ami's and she could hear the gasp of utter surprise from the blunette. The miko cupped the girl's cheek, and Ami drowned in the sensation, her complaints dying on muted lips and hands falling on either side of Rei to support herself. Rei could feel the smaller girl's desire to close the gap between them; their shared impulse to drown in this tender kiss growing more passionate, drawing from the uncharted source powering them, having merged in such an intimate way only a few hours ago...

The mercurian's body shifted over her, steadying herself against Rei, soft lips longingly nipping on Rei's. With a muted sigh Rei relented and leaning back slightly, offered herself to give the blunette better access which Ami happily took, tongue dancing lightly across her lips for entrance. Rei's back protested at the added angle. She let her hand drop from Ami's cheek, propping it on the mattress to better hold herself up. Simultaneously, Ami laid a cool hand against her cheek, claiming her, as Rei granted her access and a quick tip of tongue tasted her own. Rei dropped back onto her elbows and Ami followed her. Rei arched her back to avoid laying on it, pushing up to meet her, but a hiss involuntarily escaped her at the final twist of back.

Ami pulled back, forcefully, springing Rei forward into the unoccupied space. Rei relaxed into the motion, letting herself drop back onto her side. A pained breath escaped Rei as she slowly settled into the cushions, her eyes squinted and a pained smile bloomed across her features, taunting even.

"Okay."  
Turning to her former position she could feel Ami's look of incredulity run over her, mouth agape as the blunette still fought for breath, struggled about the answer to the question she had not asked.

Rei smirked into the pillow, stretching out fully on her stomach, the scabs cracking as she repositioned, but still the smile pulled at her lips.  
"I'll behave now."

A sigh of annoyance escaped the genius, but she said nothing as she returned to her work.

* * *

Rei sighed contently, relaxing into the the warm body in her arms. It smelled familiar, the soft silk of hair brushed against her nose and she pulled in the sweet scent of it, brushing the tip of her nose against the soft skin of neck. She nuzzled closer, gripping tighter on the delicate frame as sleep began again to overtake her, but the soft form scooted closer of its own accord, its breathing synchronizing with her own - realization shattered her own dream-world instantly.

The miko pulled her head up, blinking confusedly at her body-pillow.  
_Ami? _

She blinked again, realizing that her own form was wrapped around the smaller girl's; an elbow tucked under the blunette's head, legs bent into the girl's.  
_...Were we like this all night?_

She swallowed, stretching her neck for a better angle to examine the girl; she was still sound-asleep. Her hair lost in shape, gave her an adorable appearance, but it was her face, so very at ease and peaceful, that caught Rei's attention. Slender eyebrows arched over ever so slightly twitching eyelids, betraying the dreamworld the girl was still captured in. A cute nose above slim but rosy lips... Rei's eyes traveled along the defined but soft curve of her cheekbone up towards the tender lobe of ear.  
_...Guess there's worse ways to spend the night. _

A ghost of a smile fell to her features and she tucked a stray blue strand behind ear, fondly observing the relaxed features of the smaller girl.  
_She does make me comfortable, like a haven I've never had before I trusted her. And she's beautiful - I wonder if she even has the faintest idea. ...and the fact that she finds ME appealing of all people..._

Rei let out a tired breath, stretching as much as possible without disturbing the girl beside her or her already-aching back. She tucked nose into juncture of neck and shoulder, resting there, whispering so as not to wake the girl.  
"Anyone would be happy to have you; you know that Ames?"

_And for some reason you've chosen me...  
_  
The girl curled closer to the origin of Rei's voice, relaxing into the sound of it, and Rei dropped a feather-light kiss onto cheek.  
"I promise to keep you happy - I just hope I am good enough."

A stabbing pain in her back made her wince, and she barely held back the flinch that threatened waking the sleeping beauty next to her. With a sigh, she pulled back, settling her eyes on the window where a bit too much sunlight was streaming into the room. With a near-silent grunt, she managed to extract her arm from the girl's form and sat up, biting her lip against the pain.

"...You shouldn't move too much."

The miko dropped her gaze to a pair of cloudy azures, observing her through half-lidded eyes. A half smile played across Rei's lips, and she ran a light hand across rosy cheek before swinging her legs over bed.

"Sun's late in the sky. Shouldn't you be at school?"

The blunette ran half-formed hands across a baby face, yawning deeply as she slid long fingers through fluid hair.  
"I turned the alarm off so you could sleep."

The blunette tried to sit up, but Rei laid a soft, firm pressure upon shoulder, pushing her back down as she herself rose. "So, sleep then."

"No, your back... You should... let me..."  
The miko only smiled at the futile attempt, even as she resisted, sleep was already laying its claim on her again; only sheer stubbornness kept her conscious.

A deep chuckle rose from Rei's throat, and she brushed soft lips across cool forehead, breathing in the scent one last time before rising to full height.  
"Sleep, tiger. Grandah should be here soon, and someone has to explain why there's another mouth to feed at breakfast."

* * *

The old priest smiled up at his shrine, paying the taxi driver and waving him off as he started the slow climb, feeling giddy. Finally approaching the topmost steps, he hoisted the luggage, a head taller than him, up the final step, before pausing to catch his breath and take in the sight of his dearly-missed shrine.

The last thing he expected when he slid open the shrine doors was the hearty smell and sounds of cooking food on a weekday._ It's..._ He checked his watch. _...brunchtime? _

He let out a chuckle when he happened upon the familiar back of his favorite granddaughter, cooking away.  
"Playing hooky already?"

The miko turned tired eyes to him as he entered the kitchen and let the luggage behind him go with a satisfied thump.

His granddaughter's eyes softened at his entrance, but her form was sunken and pale, and she moved slowly with apparent effort.  
"Oh, hey Grand-dah. Have a good trip?"

He smiled up at her in greeting, settling into a chair as he watched.  
"I met some new apprentices, but none to my liking. We'll find the right one eventually," he raised his head and took in a waft of boiled rice."Bit late for breakfast, isn't it?"

Stretching her back, the young miko somewhat grimaced as she replied.  
"Yeah, well. An aching tummy doesn't deny a good meal, hm? Besides, last night was an eternity, and Ami must be starving from taking care of grumpy ol' me-" Rei stopped herself and quickly turned around to present her grandfather an innocent smile. "I'll make some extra for you."

The elderly man just smirked to himself. "Ami, huh? She'll be joining us for breakfast then?"

A more candid smile grew on his granddaughter's lips.  
"She might be around a bit more often, Dah."

"Everything okay?"

She nodded tiredly, dropping empty plates onto the kitchen counter as she cast a smile over her shoulder.  
"She's okay. Just... teenager stuff, I guess. Her mom's always away at work and she just prefers it here... That's okay, right?"

He rubbed his palms together enthusiastically, a wide grin on his face.  
"More pretty ladies in the house? Why would I complain? Can't deny a pretty lady always brings in more business at the shop."

"Oh... okay then."

"Just try and keep it down at night, okay? We _are_ a shrine after all."

The miko shot a questioning look over her shoulder, a doubtful frown cast over her features as she stirred the contents of the pan.  
"...we-.. We are talking about Ami here, right? She's the... quiet one, remember?"

He couldn't help but grin even wider now. "Ah, the _quiet _one."  
With that, he left his bewildered-looking granddaughter in the kitchen to her business and left for his room to unpack.


End file.
